


Du bist hässlich (English Version)

by Erwin_Smith_Supremacy



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Crushes, Erwin is perfect, First Meetings, Fluff, Inspired by Fanart, Kid Fic, KidLevi, Levi Ackerman is in Denial, Levi doesn't know how to flirt, M/M, Oblivious Erwin Smith, Pre-Relationship, Slice of Life, TeenErwin, Unrequited Crush, insults as flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-21
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-29 01:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30148815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erwin_Smith_Supremacy/pseuds/Erwin_Smith_Supremacy
Summary: Erwin Smith is pretty awesome. For sure, he can be a tad weird or even obssessed when it comes to his ambitions. However, all agree on one thing : he is captivating. Nobody can escape his charms, not even the little thugs in town.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith
Kudos: 15





	Du bist hässlich (English Version)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, here is my small self-indulgent Kid Fic. I saw Seressart's fanart (on instagram) and it was so adorable that I was inspired to write something.  
> I like the idea of an akward Levi who doesn't know how to deal with his feelings so he ends up trashtalking to his crush. Not gonna lie, it is pretty bad and I'm frustrated, but now that I wrote it, I might as well post it. 
> 
> I originally wrote this in French, it was hell to translate because I'm shite. Hence the possible syntactic and grammatical errors. Hope you’ll still enjoy reading.

#  **♡**

#  **♡**

Erwin would have liked to spend the first sunny day of spring doing something more motivating than babysitting. He had felt a stab of remorse when he had to cancel rugby practice, making Mike -the team capitain- particularly annoyed. Yet he understood his friend's bitterness, given the upcoming match against the rival school, Marley Gymnasium. Mike thought of Erwin as their best asset to finally overcome one player known as “the beast”, whose silly nickname had been given to him because of his level which was ten time better than the average highschooler. Mike and the rest of Paradies rugby team were absolutely devoted to hate the shit out of Zeke Jäger. The fucker always took pride in ruining their reputation. 

On his side however, Erwin felt rather excited with the idea of competing against such an acclaimed player. And if, in an unconscious way probably, he also wanted to inflict him an outstanding defeat it was better to leave it unsaid. 

For Erwin was known as a polite and well-mannered boy. Not only was he polite, but he also was very disposed to help others out, especially if it was family. So here he stood, guilty of an excess of helpfulness, in the middle of the city playground, the cacophony of crying and weeping making his ears bleed. His afternoon mission had seemed pretty simple as he only had to keep company to his cousin. Honestly it could have been worse. The aglow sky, cleared from clouds, was a delight to stare at and Erwin so often found himself lost in its contemplation. His current situation had seemed to be a perfect time to indulge in this occupation.

Plus his cousin Armin was a calm and already fairly bright five years old. Erwin thought of him as a brother so it really wasn’t a dreadful chore to spend the afternoon outside, with him. Yet he still felt like he was abandoning Mike and the rest of the team. 

Armin and his friends were sitting in the sandpit, the blonde sat crossed legged with a book on his lap, pointing at a picture so the two others could see it. The boy, Eren (Erwin heard a lot of gossip on the kid, but as Armin talked about him with high regards, Erwin tolerated his presence) had bent down close enough to see, his big green eyes shining with something close to awe. Next to him (or rather, glued to him) his sister Mikasa was eyeing the page curious to see what was so fascinating. Erwin couldn’t contain his smile before this adorable scene. Despite his young age, his cousin knew how to let his passion shine through and Erwin saw a bit of himself through Armin. 

That being said, Erwin truly was one of a kind. He only found interest in one thing and it was becoming close to an obsession. It caused a lot of people, especially adults, to be worried about his sanity. He couldn't care less however. He had this precise ambition and nothing could ever stop him. When he spent hours so immersed in his history books that he forgot the world outside, that he ignored his homework and even turned down his precious sleep, he did not feel like wasting his time. It was quite the contrary.

Besides, had Erwin been aware of it or not, he possessed an outstanding charisma and this special speaking skill so that every time that he spoke about his ambitions and his future as an archeologist, he managed to rally everyone behind his cause. And even though it contributed to making him a marginal it was not a surprise that this side of his personality also gave him a lot of success. According to Nile, his best friend, Erwin could have had many romantic experiences, if he only cared a bit about the thing. Except the other students seemed way more interested in his love life that he was himself. Falling in love wasn’t part of his plans. Not that he was forbidding himself from this, it just never happened. Plus, he felt like he would have enough time to think about that in the future. From now it simply wasn’t one of his preoccupations. Maybe it will never become one. He was only sixteen after all. 

For one moment he had let his thoughts wander but was immediately called back to reality by a harsh wailing coming from the bushes. Some obscene insults raised Erwin’s attention and he glanced around, searching for an authority figure who could likely interfere. As it turned out, it would be on him. He raised up and approached the scene carefully. What he came across was a rather ordinary scene in this neighborhood, and it broke his heart to admit it. A group of schoolkids were circling another shorter kid. He was all alone and had visibly been pushed on the dirty ground. Erwin came close enough to distinguish the insults that the loner was bawling :

“You filthy -dirty- pigs ! Don’t touch me with your soiled hands!” 

All the disgust he felt was perceptible in his hoarse voice and acid tone. He seemed fierce. His dark hair that surely had been neatly brushed in the morning was now disheveled, drops of sweat beaded on his pale forehead and a slim blood trickle slowly flowed down his leg. When one of his assailants came close to him, the kid growled at him, making the other brat back off instantly. Erwin didn’t waste anymore time to take action and cleared his throat before he spoke.

“What are you doing here ?” he asked calmly yet sternly enough so he could read the fear on the juvenile faces. He felt rather confident but knew deep down that he probably should have been more careful.

The fact that he towered over them by at least two heads helped in the intimidation effect he was going for. They all stayed silent a moment before the most daring among them took a step forward, defending himself :

“It’s his fault sir” he said pointing to the lonely kid on the ground. The latter was scowling at them. 

“This little shit stole our marbles,” another brat added. 

Erwin let his eyes fall on the scapegoat. Their eyes crossed just for a moment before the kid sharply turned back to his bullies. His red angered face bore the marks of pure hatred 

“Fuck you !” he retorted as he jumped up immediately. He stumbled a bit in the heat of the moment but then proceeded to spit on the group before storming out of the scene. 

Erwin was left dumbfounded and frantically thought of something to say as he turned toward the bullies. His whole life, he never had yet to play some sort of childcare worker in such a shallow quarrel. However he was used to stepping in when rugby players went too far during games, so he somehow understood how to proceed. He took a deep breath before going back to it.

“No matter what he did, here is certainly not a place for fighting!” he stated, moving his hand in the direction of the kids playing in the park. “Plus, if you’re so willing to do your little Fight Club, at least do it right… Seven facing one, it’s not fair play, don’t you think?” he said, far from being obliging.

Most of them acquiesced, far too scared to say anything back. But one reckless kid, apparently the gang leader, was determined to argue and so he pursued : “But sir, this weirdo is nuts”.

“Yeah totally” one of his mates added with fervor, “Some say he carries a knife, in his pocket!”. 

Erwin glanced toward Armin and his friends, making sure they were safe and then reported his attention on the group. He really did not have time to deal with delinquents... However, as a man of principle, he couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. 

“Then what? You still wanted to beat the shit out of him?”.

The leader shrugged, trying to play it cool, but just ended up looking like the stupid moron that he was.

“We didn’t want to hit him like, we’re trying to show him who’s the boss, you know.”

Erwin frowned, his thick eyebrow coming together in a flustred line. “Didn’t seem to work out” he replied with a composed tone. “Next time be more clever and don’t get your marbles robbed”. He finished by asking them to buzz off. 

A chant of “yes sir, sorry sir” was murmured before he was left alone. 

Erwin could not be sure that a situation like this would not reproduce. No he was, in fact, rather convinced that it would happen again but he just couldn’t turn himself into a juvenile delinquency cop. As long as the brats stayed off the park and away from the little kids he felt comforted. It still hurt to know that these schoolkids somehow dealt with fighting likely everyday. Erwin, on the other hand, never had had to use his physical strength outside a rugby pitch.

Then it hit him for the first time. That he came from a privileged background and thus had no right to pass judgment on the situation. The aknowledgment made him feel quite uneasy and he went to sit back in his place, with this troublesome thought in mind.

He waved back at Armin when the latter looked at him with a bright joyful smile. The little group had been joined by three other kids, a fair haired girl whose lack of facial expression could compete with Mikasa’s, a tall boy with a fearful face and a blonde who seemed a few years older than the rest of them. He and Eren were involved in a rather heated row. Erwin heard some of it, mostly one “you traitor!” yelled by a devastated Eren and he saw the other kid wiping off some tears before they could run on his cheeks. Armin tried to calm the quarrel, in vain. It ended when Mikasa stepped in, placing herself protectively in front of her brother (Erwin thought that it would have been wiser to protect the blonde kid, who looked way less dangerous than Eren). From what Erwin had understood, Reiner had cheated at the Titan Game, invented by their friend, the latter evidently obstinate when it came to following the exact rules. Erwin let out a weak sigh. Really, kids nowadays… Too much anger. 

The teen tried to drop the accumulated pressure and decided to check his phone, gleeful when he saw that he had received a selfie from Mike, posing with Hange after training, both smiling and covered in mud, face glistening under the sweat. He immediately took a picture of himself, contemplating the damaged pink playground slide in the back of the photograph. Before he could press _send_ he heard some footsteps, dawdling on the concrete. He hadn’t had time to turn over when the small voice echoed :

“You’re ugly.”

Erwin, dumbstruck, raised his head toward the silhouet and came face to face with the kid from earlier, who was watching him intently, frowning a bit with a frustrated look stuck on his face. His arms were folded defensively. Erwin noted that he had somehow tried to tame his hair. His soiled shirt still stood outside his shorts and the dried blood on his knee did not fit with the neat image he was trying to adopt. His complexion however had recovered its fair colour, his face no longer angered, except his rosy cheeks which made him look like he just had a sprint. 

“Is that your way of thanking me?” Erwin enquired, a jerring smile spreading on his face.

The kid flushed even more, so he buried his hands inside his shorts pockets, nervously rocking on his feet. “It wasn’t a thank you. I don’t need help.” he grouched.

Erwin shrugged, “If you say so, kid.”

Dropping his gaze on the scraped knees, he decided to take out his first-aid kit (vital when going out, especially with Eren and Mikasa nearby).

“I’m not a kid! I’m nearly thirteen!” came the harsh response. He stood there for a moment looking at the kit Erwin was holding out to him and then snatched it firmly. “Whatever, you’re the old one” he added while trying to keep from frowning while applying the antibacterial on his leg. 

Erwin bite back a snort, thinking it was best not to offend that odd kid. He went back to his previous activities, that is to say not much : keeping an eye on the kids and texting Mike back. He could feel the nearly inaudible breathing next to him. Without seeing him, Erwin sensed the kid’s gaze on him. He could feel it pass through his spine. 

“So you’re going to spy on me for long?”

“Tch, someone has too. Why are you lurking in a children playground? It’s kinda worrying, are you a pervert?”

Erwin couldn’t contain the clear burst of laughter that escaped his lips briefly, unaware of the captivated look that appeared on the dark haired kid’s face.

“What, I can’t look that old!” he exclaimed

“Well, you’re dressed like a grandpa” the other answered back. 

On that point, the kid was not wrong. Erwin inherited his beloved leather book bag from his father, who himself got it from his own. However, Erwin thought he had some nerve to say things like that when the kid himself was dressed as if he starred in a World War II movie. 

Erwin quickly realized that his new companion had no intention of leaving him alone. If you were paying close attention, you could even see that the kid was desperately trying to engage in conversation. So Erwin played along. After all, it was clear that he had nothing to fear so he offered the other to sit next to him, on the pavement. 

“Huh? Sit next to a pervert, are you kidding?”

“At least, I’m not a thug,” Erwin stated.

The kid rolled his eyes in insolence, “They asked for it! Plus the marbles are shite, it’s not worth anything. Bummer!” 

He took the small bag out of his pocket and threw it in Erwin’s direction. 

“You can keep that. They’re crap, like you”.

He hesitated a bit before adding, in a less confident voice, “some are the same colour as your eyes”. 

Erwin smiled at those words. A kind and sincere smile that made his companion lose all his composure. There was another well known fact about Erwin Smith : his smiles, despite being rare, were absolutely devastating. 

Finally, Levi (Erwin had managed, with efforts, to get his name) sat down next to him and they were playing marbles on the sloping ground. Levi turned out to be a really skilled player, however Erwin, fine strategist, always managed to win the games. Levi, sore loser that he was, was quick to threaten him. Erwin wouldn’t have lied if he said that he had been a bit scared; that kid owned a serious intimidation power. 

“I’ll take you in a fight Blondie, and you won’t play smart anymore!”

Erwin raised his brows, considering their height difference but wisely prefered not to address it aloud. After all, Levi still had time to grow up and who knows, maybe be taller than him one day.

“Let’s talk about that in a few years, right?” he had answered in what sounded like a promise for a future friendship. 

Erwin managed to get Levi to open up a bit more about him, under one condition though, for every disclosed information, he had return the favor. Thereby, he learned that Levi came from the Unterground, one of the worst places in town. He then understood why the kid looked after his appearence so much. However, Levi did not linger on any details as it turned out, he was rather eager to learn facts about Erwin. Namely which highschool he went to, what was his rugby position, what he liked to do in his free time, if he was seeing anyone and even his favourite colour. Erwin answered each question with enthusiasm, but briefly wondered how such an endearing kid managed to make enemies of a whole group of rascals. Behind the crabby facade, Levi was hiding a more sensitive and caring self. Even though he still insulted Erwin with every breath, Levi listened to him with devotion.

When it was Erwin’s turn to ask for his favourite colour, Levi had stammered, dropping his gaze to the ground.

“Huh... it’s sky-blue.”

And he was blushing again.

Despite himself, Erwin found out he was rather intrigued by Levi, who he hoped he could soon enough call a friend. He mostly wanted to know if Levi was as gifted in battles as he liked to pretend. But first and foremost he needed to understand why he was fighting so much. Erwin vaguely thought I could be Levi's project to become a boxer, or something like that.

When Levi learned that Erwin and his teammates were to play against the Marley Gymnasium, he had pulled a face and explained that his awful neighbour played in the school team. He bragged that he inflicted numerous knockout to the guy, “the beast” as they called him. He had mimicked the quote mark with a disgusted pout. Erwin was listening to him with attention, yet a tad dubious and particulary worried. He was far from questioning Levi’s fighting abilities, his doubts lied in whether or not his tales were to be trusted (as he would learn later and at his expense, Levi was all but a liar). 

“If you don’t beat that Jäger primate and his lame team, it will confirm what a loser you are” Levi declared, in lieu of what Erwin took as a support.

“I’ll be hoping to see you Saturday then” he said back when it was time to go back home. “Some more cheerings are always welcomed, especially coming from a friend” he had added, leaving Levi speechless. 

Breaking off their bubble, Eren came closer, a tad timid but with a fierce admirative gaze clinging to Levi who, in return, gave him an obnoxious salute with his fingers. In Eren’s shadow, Mikasa was throwing daggers at the dark haired kid. Far from feeling threatened, the latter turned once again to Erwin and finally said, his mouth morphing to an impish grin :

“Don’t be so full of yourself Blondie, I can’t be your cheerleader, you’re not handsome enough.”

And it was the first time Erwin saw him smile.

#  **♡**

The second time came soon enough, the next Saturday when Erwin saw Levi in the bleachers, looking delighted to be here, even though was reluctantly shaking the blue pompom he was clutching. 

And finally, over the years, Erwin had stopped counting. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, thanks for reading !  
> I plan on writing more serious stuff about them, when they are are adults, because this one text felt more like setting the scene than a real interesting story.  
> I'm rooting for Eren x Reiner too now, so I am defo going to write about them as well.


End file.
